Car of the week

There is no doubt that the official release of the next generation Jaguar XF-R is sooner than later, but it seems that the XF-R right now is not the best kept secret in the auto world. The sizzling red hot car with vents on the hood, large bumper air intakes and quad exhaust has been snapped pretty extensively in spy shots with Jaguar having a problem keeping it under the mask. The XF-R follows the thread marks of the highly successful Jaguar SV8 XF and is slated to sport a 5.0 liter, direct-injection power plant supplying more that 500 hp. While the SV8 XF sports a 4.2 liter, 420 hp engine, the new XH-R could way beyond that while still keeping in line with the Jaguar class and royalty. – via WCF

Do you guys remember the SL63 AMG (Evo Edition) by Kicherer. Well I have good news. The guys are at it again, and this time they got their hands on a Mercedes Benz CL 65 Coupe to make it run wild and produce nothing less than 650 hp. How is that possible? Well the coupe already gets some 612 stallions from the V12 (and 1000Nm) it has under the hood, but Kicherer turned it into a little beast that sports 650 hp/ 486kW and an incredible 1200Nm.

But this time, it isn’t all about numbers. The exterior got some 20″ Kicherer RS-X lightweight wheels, carbon fiber mirror shells, rear diffuser, front grille, a mirror-finished four tailpipes exhaust system, while the interior makes it all fancy with the velvet glove treatment, the alcantara ceiling, carbon intarsia or the nappa leather seats. Beautiful, isn’t it?

The hype these days when it comes to transportation is about the new South African Electric Car that impressed everyone during the Paris Motor Show. Dubbed The Joule, the six-passengers car is incredible. It goes 250 miles with one charge, does 0 to 60 in like 4.8seconds and is estimated to cost some from $22,000 to $28,000 when released somewhere in 2010.

South Africa’s domestic car market won something, when Keith Helfet joined the staff at Optimal Energy after designing Jaguar’s F-type concept and the XK220. His experience speaks for itself, and the fact that he’ll use it on the local market is a big advantage.

Back to the Joule, it’s going to be built in South Africa mostly from domestic pieces and will include two potential drivetrains. First one and the most likely to be used, is an electric motor turning the front wheels, while the second option includes individual electric motors turning the rear or all four wheels. For these, it will pack one or two lithium-ion batteries that should keep it running for either 125 or 250 miles.

With a “simple, elegant lines and [a] self assured stance”, with regenerative brakes and “all modern safety features such as side impact protection, ABS and airbags”, I’m pretty sure the Joule will be a hit when released on the market. – via Wired (images copyright : Optimal Energy)

Just the other day I was thinking what and if I will rent a limousine at my wedding. Don’t get me wrong I’m not getting married tomorrow, this week or this year (not sure even if it will be next year) but, loving cars that much, it has to be a special one (the most special) for such a moment.

Well today I decided what’s going to take me and my future wife to the party and that’s a Mercedes-Benz S 600 Pullman Guard. The Germans first mentioned it last year, but up until now I couldn’t manage to spot much about it.

Built on the basis of the S600, the new Pullman limousine will be powered by the 5.5-liter V12 biturbo with an output of 517 hp/380 kW and 830 Nm of torque. It will also offer protection (that’s obviously not for a wedding aight?) with its armor resisting military-standard small-arms projectiles and fragments from hand grenades or other explosive charges.

So do you think that would be the right vehicle to attend a wedding with?

I’ve said it a million times that the new Audi R8 doesn’t need any more mods, but apparently that’s just me. The aggressive looks and the performance of the new R8 is not enough, so the guys at MTM got their hands on it to change it into a monster. That’s their supercharged Audi R8.

It uses the 4.2-litre V8 engine and boasts nothing less than 560PS (412kW) at an incredible 7750 rpm, and only takes 3.9 seconds to reach 100km/h from 0 and 12.5 seconds to get to 200km/h. With Bimoto forged rims by MTM and a quattro drive system that’s the most powerful Audi R8 by now. Could that be the V10, Audi is preparing to release anytime soon ?

Just when I thought that Bugatti can’t come up with a new amazing, stunning, incredible (continue the list) new Veyron, here’s what they did. Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Roadster. The new Veyron 16.4 which by the way comes with a removable roof, will receive its public debut at this year’s Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance, on August 16th, 2008.

With “innovative structural solutions” compensating for the lack of structural integrity which normally provided by a roof, they managed to come up with a car that is not sacrificing performance and safety for the looks. First one will be built in the Spring of 2009 and will be auctioned the next ya and the renowned Gooding auction at the Equestrian Center at Pebble Beach.

Guess we started the week with the right foot. I declare it the car of the week, no matter what.

HUMMER USA takes customisation one step further with the “HUMMER Colour Customization Campaign”. This campaign allows HUMMER buyers, especially women, to customize their HUMMER H3 to match their personality and attitude. With an option of ten spectacular custom colours including ‘tough cookie lilac’ and ‘side kick pink’, women can make their vehicles distinctive.

The unique exterior colour can also be carried onto the inside, with colour coded bucket seats and centre console to really make the custom H3 stand out. “When I first chose to change my car, I told my husband I wanted a pink HUMMER. Two weeks later I was the owner of this beautiful lilac model and I can’t stop flaunting it,” said Jane McMorrow.

An H3 with a custom colour paintjob is sure to attract attention and envious stares from onlookers but it’s not just about being flashy. Having just the right shade of colour makes the vehicle a valuable personal belonging and reflects on the owner’s colourful outlook of life. That’s why HUMMER gives women the option of mixing various available shades to come up with a totally new and unique shade.

Johnny Amiuoni, Marketing Manager for HUMMER at GM Middle East believes the campaign gives women freedom and power to create an H3 that reflects their uniqueness and beauty. South African HUMMERs come in a variety of colours and specification levels.

Boy oh boy I have to say I wasn’t expecting something like that from BMW but this one is really getting to my heart. It’s the GINA light visionary model concept car (the named it that way) which has the ability to assume different shapes due to the material its body is built from, which is cloth.

GINA, which stands for Geometry and Functions In ?N? Adaptions is very special because it does not change only the exterior, but also the interior. Curious how? The fabric is placed over a meshwork of metal wires that can move and is controlled by eletro-hydraulic devices.

Pretty certain it won’t see daylight, but still a cool concept to at least dream at.